Resources to address disparate treatment from prejudiced professionals
Many professionals are unaware that it can be illegal to treat someone differently based on guessing they have an impairment, even if it is colloquial non-diagnostic language.
They may end up using “radar”-like techniques to spot people with disabilities and avoid hiring them, fire them, reduce contact with them, deem them dangerous or uncredibe, or engage in other types of disparate treatment.
Respected professionals often target people with psychiatric disabilities
It’s probably not their fault!
Stigmas against people with mental illness are embedded in our societies, and unfortunately they also can end up embedded in policies for court systems, organizations, and practictioners – or taught as part of continuing education trainings.
Court
Some judges, attorneys, and other court-connected professionals have taken trainings to spot people who seem to have personality disorders and other mental health problems – and to provide them different treatment
Investigations
Some professionals who conduct internal and external workplace investigations are taught to assess witnesses mental health problems and trauma reactions and factor this into their credibility findings.
Parenting Programs
Some court-mandated parenting education programs include content that use colloquial language to teach parents to guess their co-parent has a personality-disorder-related problem and treat them differently
Universities
Some higher education programs encourage faculty, staff, and students to report their peers as threats based on guesses about their mental health.
Workplaces
Some companies provide their employees trainings to guess whether their co-workers show signs of mental health problems and treat them differently in response.
Healthcare Professionals
Some healthcare and mental health professionals show high rates of provider stigma and they treat clients differently based on knowing or guessing they have conditions.
Want to Understand “Radar”?
This page provides educational tools to help people learn about the history and use of mental illness “radars”
Are You Ready for “Radar”?
This page provides tools for people facing radar so they can protect themselves and respond.
Do You Want to Stop Using “Radar”?
This page provides tools for people who use radar so they can learn how to stop and replace it with better tools.